*Sura's POV*
"Ehhhhh…"
Rolling around on the ground as Mom tries to comfort me, I am once again relegated to the sides only to watch. The mat underneath me shifted with uncomfortable warmth for how long I've been laying here. The repetitive chirping of birds and the sunny haze that makes you move like sludge.
Boring… I've improved in controlling myself with the rings! Shouldn't I be able to have a little fun? As Kyuu-san comes over for some water, beads of sweat drip from her face, dampening her black gi.
"Summer's still a bit away yet the temperature is so hot already."
Petting me on the head, mom wags her thinner tail... aw, it's not longer as fluffy. I noticed when I pounced onto her back and found a landing not as soft as before. Turns out the fox lineage and all associated lineages lose a bit of their fur in the summer times so they don't overheat themselves. However…
"You should shave your scruff, Kyui. I don't want you soaking every shirt you put on with sweat. Then your shirt will dry and be all crinkly."
"Oooor~"
Wings open slowly with pretentious grace, Klara-san let the sunlight shamelessly accentuate her chocolate body with the top of her gi removed, only showing a loose bra.
"You can go top-less like me~"
Her glistening abs and toned body out for display as she winked at some of the girls. A lamia purring with her slithering tongue… maybe I can ask mom to buy some chocolate after this? I can hand some on the way to Saraswati too! Confining her body with in revulsion, Kyuu-san tightens her gi.
"Like hell I will! Break is almost over, get everyone to rally up and practice."
Now is my chance!
"Can I train with them a little? Pretty please? I've improved! Plus the rings are proven to be real effective!! I'll hold back!"
Her arms begin to move together, her classic arm-crossed posture of denial! Seal the deal before she can say a word!
"I'll do your chores-!!"
"You can train, brat."
I cocked my head at her, surely that was a mistake right? With a long inhale and puff out, Kyuu-san nods.
"You've improved, and the rings work. Training a little here won't do any harm… but if I catch you breaking anything again…"
The tone of her voice guilts me to remember the first time I broke the pavements in my fight with Artemas. Speaking of whom, Kyuu-san calls over alongside Wukong and Pandora.
"Hey Artemas, I'll be watching some more over the brat here. Feel free to go for a few spars and hold back-"
Kyuu-san stares at me.
"It's sparring testing your skills, not sheer power. No using your petals too. From what I've seen, the best learning for her is direct sparring, no need for learning moves… I'd hate to compliment you but you learn faster by adapting.."
Artemas lifts his curly hair back as he grins.
"I've been waiting for a rematch, what do you say?"
I raise my fist at him, bumping his with high spirits.
"You bet!"
"You're finally able to train? That's great!"
Wukong exclaimed as she grabbed my hands in joy. Together with Pandora, Wukong, and Artemas, we break off into our 4-way group off onto the… same circle arena I broke before. Arms on his waist, Artemas steps in, and does a quick, energetic spin into a seating position.
"The hell got your ugly mug smiling?"
Pandora quick to the draw with her fingers pointed. Firing back at Pandora, Artemas muses in this cowboy standoff.
"I've got an idea, instead of just a rematch again, how about a 4-way brawl~"
"Hah!!"
Pandora stamps her feet down, as she puffs out her chest with pride only matched by her giant horns… I wonder how she sleeps with those.
"You're on, loser buys lunch for all. And no cheap meals, I want the damn goods… Top of the line buffalo grass Takoyaki!"
"I thought your wallet ran dry from the last time you lost... and also buffalo grass? At least get something we can eat too!"
Artemas shrugs with challenging smugness. Pandora stomps her way to Artemas, looking down at him in her powerful stature as she grits her teeth in a smile.
"Talking shit? It's on, Curly hair."
"Oh it is, Ms. Ego."
"Guys?"
Wukong timidly raises her hand.
"You said 4-way? Am I in it too?"
Artemas backs away from Pandora.
"Of course! Wukong, be more confident in your skills. You don't have to if you don't want to but, the last few times, you fared well against some other students and even won. Believe in yourself some."
Wukong looks at me for confirmation, of which I give her a silent pleeaaaseeee… with a double thumbs up. She gives a soft laugh as she blushes.
"Ok… I hope I brought enough to buy for everyone."
Aretmas looks at me with a smirk, already knowing I was down for 4-way the moment he mentioned it. I approach the center, where everyone is positioned. Heh, fighting against 3 people at once? I've never done that before! Just thinking about it…
The top of my gi flies off, only the sarashi bandages bounded around my chest.
Is pumping me up!!
"Heh, the little kid has the spirit. Me as well then!"
Pandora takes off the top of her gi, revealing a sturdy frame of flexing muscle. Her sizable chest is supported by a sports bra… I wonder if they're as comfortable as Mom's?
Standing in a square formation, I let the silence before the storm calm me and steel my nerves. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mom excitedly watching. She mouths a "you got this!" and my motivation goes through the roof! My hand twitches, ready to strike.
Artemas starts bouncing on his feet, staying light and agile in his stance as he breathes steadily yet fast. I recognized that movement, it was the one he used during our practice match.
But this time Artemas is taking it more seriously, his movement harder to read. Almost entranced by it, I found a fist approaching my sight mere inches away before I ducked and flipped backwards.
"Phew! That almost hit me!"
Artemas chuckles.
"Better pay attention kid."
*3rd person POV*
Sura readies her stance and Artemas zips towards her with quick hops. A fast knee follows another short punch as they trade attacks. A short uppercut rushes past Sura's face, cutting her vision off.
"I can't see!!"
Following that flash of movement, a roundhouse kick strikes firmly at Sura.
*Crash*
Missing the mark, the kick is blocked by two arms as Sura moved her arms just in time.
"Hehe, good thing I expected that!"
"ORAA!!"
A bellow is heard as Pandora charges arms wide in a bull charge at us. We both felt an instinctive urge to dodge as we dived out of the way together… and let the raging bull past us.
But unlike a raging bull, Pandora was able to quickly pivot and turn towards me ready to charge again.
"Here I come!"
Before she could lunge, Wukong hops onto her back and wraps her leg around Pandora. Bending backwards, Wukong attempts to bring down Pandora… but she quickly positions herself and throws her own much heavier weight forward. Her two arms reach up and take hold of Wukong's hip.
"Waaaaah!!"
Wukong flies off, I jump up and catch her. Settling her down, she dazzly calls me out.
"This is a 4-way match, you're not supposed to help me dummy!"
"Hehe too bad! You got this Wukong!"
Since she technically didn't fall on the ground, she isn't out hehe. With quick one-arm jabs, Artemas keeps Pandora at bay and on the block. With a thud, Artemas fists gets caught in Pandora's hand.
Almost immediately, Artmeas sends a kick to Pandora to catch her off guard. Pandora raises her elbow and catches his leg, pinning it under. With a fast grab onto Artemas gi's collar, Artemas realizes his mistake.
"I've figured you out Artemas!! Eat dirt!!"
Raising Artemas over her head, Pandora was about to bring him down with gleeful revenge. Sura shoulder charges into Pandora. Pandora quickly drops Artemas to absorb the impact. Sura gives the brief respite he needed as he flips back safely. So sweet revenge taken away, Pandora eyes' burn with hurt pride as she yells at the young flower taking her on.
"You little!- Argh!"
A strike to her steel abs cuts off her sentence as Sura presses on. She seems to specialize in throws and grabs, I have to be fast and short with my attacks, thinks Sura when an open hand narrowly misses its prey as Sura ducks.
From behind, a rush of wind spells impending danger before Sura quickly kicks off Pandora, just to see Artemas' streamlined form.
"Heh! I can hear you, you know!"
Leaping over Artemas, Sura raises her leg high, blocking the sun for a mere breath as she comes down. Quickly side-stepping, another strike by Artemas keeps Sura on retreat… without a sound, Wukong swiftly slides under Artemas, pulling out his leg…
"Woah!! Damn!!"
Hearing the heavy stomps behind her, Sura quickly jumps up with a farewell nod.
"Good luck Artemas!"
Still mid-air, Artemas utters:
"Huh- OOF!!!"
The bull tackle rattles Artemas' teeth, the force nearly blacking out his consciousness! He's down for the count on the ground, a knee on his chest as Pandora towers above him. Groaning and fizzling like a balloon, Artemas pleads.
"I...give! I-I give!! *cough*"
Even the other students bore witness to his desperate pleas as he continued to be crushed. Pandora lets off with a grin ear to ear. Artemas feels like a mountain lift off his chest as he rolls to his side groaning.
"By the gods are you trying to kill me? I didn't even strengthen my body with a quanta. My ribs might've broken!"
Pandora rolls her eyes and makes a crying baby face with her hands.
"Wah wah wah! I'm such a loser I'm gonna cry! Come now, curly hair, you know what happens…"
Raising her chin up in a malicious grin, the sun's glory glistening off her horn. Ready to declare her delicious victory.
"Where's your wallet?"
Thoughts of freshly cut buffalo grass melted with warm takoyaki renders her fighter sense null. A meak, stifled-
"Hiyah!"
Follows.
*Boop*
"Eh?"
In that moment, Pandora poetically gets blinded by her pride... or gluttony... and finds her falling forward out of bounds… and eats dirt with a rude face plant. Silence falls to the court… before the loudest wheeze bursts out of Artemas.
"HAHA HAAAAAAAA!!!"
Gasping for air and rolling with tears, Artemas starts the chain reaction of a whole bunch of students laughing as they watch the mighty and towering Pandora… felled by the foot of shy Wukong whose hands now grasp with nervousness. Kyuu-san face palms at the sidelines, Ohari even chuckling…
"I thought I taught my students to never let their guards down…"
"Ooo... right in the kisser."
Whistles Klara. Knees on the ground, Wukong tries to help Pandora as she leaves the arena ring.
"Are you ok?! I didn't mean that Pandora!! It's just that you were wide open and no one said the fight was paused if someone was out and I… I… wah…"
Nose red and her hair a strangely mess, Pandora's first punches the ground as she stands up, eyes glowing red as fumes come out of her nose. She immediately turns her head to Wukong… Wukong closes her eyes, scared.
"Eeeeep!!!"
Before Pandora jumps up and down stamping her foot waving her big arms in child-like frustration as literal steam pipes out of her ears.
"FUUUUCK!!! WUKONG!!!! I thought you were on my side!! Arraaaggh!!! This is so embarrassing!!! Damn it!!!"
"Eeeeek!!! I'm sorry!! I'll buy the food!"
"WAHAHAHA!!!"
Artemas is still barely alive as he tries to control his laughter.
"Haha… ha!! Phew! Stop bullying Wukong!! I'll pay more if I have too. After that treat, how could I not?"
"Damn right you will!! You got your ass handed to you, remember that!!"
"Yeah sure, Ms. Eat Dirt."
"Nraaagh!!... hey wait isn't the little kid still in the ring? And Wukong stepped out to help me…"
Sura points at herself… eh?
"Umm… yes?"
Artemas raises Sura's hand into the air.
"I guess we have a winner!! By default nonetheless but a winner!"
"What?! But I didn't even get to fight much!! No fair!!"
I wave my arms in denial, shaking off Artemas' arm as I pout and pout some more.
"Haha sorry! But since I lost first, as a man of my words! I will buy whatever you want for lunch? Anything you want?"
Food! Mmmm... I rub my chin trying to think of an answer. Looking around, I notice how drenched everyone was. Pandora was brushing off the dust on her body while her entire body was dripping with sweat. Wukong was fanning herself with her hands, and Artemas' hair sticked messily to his beaded forehead... some ice cream on the beach side would be real nice. Wait...
"The beach!"
"Um... not sure I can buy a beach for you. It's also not edible."
"No I mean Jacky invited me and anyone I can bring to the beach!! How about it?"
Nothing like a dive and splash into ocean paired with ice cream treats.
"Artemas, you can bring ice cream for everyone if we go!"
"The beach? Sounds damn good right about now. How about it Wukong?"
Pandora huffs out as she dries her sweat with a towel. Wukong looks at us absentmindedly, unsure of how to respond.
"I-I'll go... oh geez I have to buy a swimsuit, I never went out with friends before ehe."
"Splendid! The beach does sound nice. As promised, I will bring some ice cream for everyone. Got a head count?"
"Ooh did I hear a beach side adventure? My~ I can't miss seeing what delectable swim suits there will be right?"
Klara chimes in from above... she flies down like a missile and lands with the grace of a petal. It seems like she just finished beating her students in training. Students scattered on her side of the training ground was the brutal scene left in her wake. I wanna fight Klara one day!
"Klara can join too!!"
"Awesome!! I'll make sure to bring some sun lotion for everyone, in case anyone wants someone to help apply them~"
That was how we decided our beach day!! Jacky, Saraswati, Mokuren, mom, and Kyuu-san has already agreed to join. I can't wait!! Ever since seeing Jacky's beach photo collection, I had dreams of what it'll be like. Running along the beach, splashing in an endless expanse of water!! Swimming!! I don't even know how to swim but I'm excited!